The panel last week gave its unanimous support to Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District’s plan, which set out to address the impacts of the Northern Integrated Supply Project on fish and wildlife.

Concerns about the plan have centered on peak water flows and whether flows outlined in the plan will be enough to allow for a flushing that is vital to the Poudre River’s health…

Both Fort Collins City Council and Larimer County commissioners reviewed the plan, which was released in June.

Council sent comments back to the commission with recommendations, such as guaranteeing three days of peak flows on the river for critical flushing.

Commissioners opted not to send feedback to the commission, and its members said they were comfortable with the plan…

Northern Water is working with 15 Front Range partners who seek to build the project to meet water demands brought upon by future growth.

“Lack of water doesn’t stop growth. It just changes where it comes from,” Northern Water General Manager Eric Wilkinson told the Coloradoan Editorial Board on Monday. “In Colorado, it’s going to come from ag. … Without this project, there are 100 square miles of farms that will be dried up to provide that water.”

[…]

Now NISP must go through more water quality mitigation as part of the Federal Clean Water Act.

An Army Corps of Engineers decision on whether to allow the nearly $1 billion project is expected in 2018, after the proposal has cleared regulatory hurdles in Colorado.